


The Truth Will Set You Free

by shepweirfan



Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-26
Updated: 2010-09-26
Packaged: 2017-10-12 05:22:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 14,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/121237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shepweirfan/pseuds/shepweirfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chloe learns about Clark's secret. And soon after her proof disappears, an unscrupulous doctor appears. Who is he and what does he have to do with Lex Luthor?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place mid season 2 and goes AU from there.

"Welcome to the Kent Farm. Pete, you want to say a few words before we venture into the unknown?"

"Yeah, Chloe. How about we stop this now, or at least tell Clark and his parents that you're going to video tape them."

Chloe sighed. "Pete, that would defeat the purpose."

"Defeat the purpose? Chloe, what does that mean?"

"Nothing. Nevermind. You're not going to try and warn them, are you?"

Pete shook his head. "I just hope you know what you're doing, that's all."

"I always know what I'm doing," Chloe said with a grin. "Now, let's go!"

Pete reluctantly followed her, hoping Clark wasn't out there using his abilities or there was going to be a huge problem.

"What the hell?" Chloe muttered as she watched Clark lift up a tractor and held it with one hand while fixing something underneath it with another.

Pete's eyes widened as he watched the entire scene unfold. Chloe ran closer, still in complete shock that this was happening right in front of her. "CLARK!" she exclaimed.

"Um…" Clark began, almost dropping said tractor on the ground. This was not something he was expecting. "Hi, guys."

Chloe could not believe her eyes. That tractor had to weigh over 2 tons! Questions upon questions began forming in her mind. She glanced over at Pete who was stunned and looked almost sorry that the two of them had witnessed whatever just happened.

"Clark Kent," Chloe said. "You've been holding out on me."

Clark didn't know what to say. He glanced over at Pete, who shrugged. "Chloe, come with me. And turn off the camera."

"Got it," she replied, still in shock.

Clark took a deep breath and led her and Pete up to the loft. He had Chloe sit and asked her to say something because she'd become too quiet.

Chloe could tell Clark was worried, and he had every right to be. "Clark… That was… I mean… Everything is starting to become quite clear now. I understand everything. And I know why you kept it from me."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I'm not mad, Clark. I know that when I find Wall of Weird material, I'm usually on top of it, trying to write some amazing story. But, Clark, you're my friend. I've seen where meteor induced powers gets my wall of weird finalists."

Pete cleared his throat. "Clark, maybe you might wanna…"

Chloe looked back and forth between the two guys. "Don't hold back, Clark."

"Well, it's just… I'm not from around here, Chloe."

"Then you're saying your real parents were just passing through?"

"Chloe, I came here in the meteor shower."

That silenced the young journalist. She gulped. "Clark, are you saying…" He nodded. "Do you mind if I have some time to process this? I promise I won't talk to anyone, but this is kind of, well…"

"Take your time, Chloe," he said with a smile.

She smiled back. "Thanks."

The pair watched her climb down the stairs. "Pete, why were you two video taping the farm?"

"It was Chloe's idea, Clark. She wanted to catch you guys off guard. Why, I don't know. Unless she already suspected something. But I'm guessing you're not going to be too hard on her."

"No. It's Chloe and I trust her. My parents, however…"

"Clark!"

Pete immediately stood up. "That was your Dad. I'm making my escape now. Catch ya later."

Clark chuckled when he heard Pete talking to his Dad. "Hi, Mr. Kent. Bye, Mr. Kent."

"Clark, what did you two do?"

"What are you talking about, Dad?"

"Pete seemed really nervous just now and you're avoiding any sort of eye contact."

He sighed. Might as well get it over with. "It's kind of funny when you think about it."

Jonathan Kent crossed his arms. "What is?"

"So I was out fixing the tractor. You know, by myself. Well…" He trailed off.

"I'm listening." Clark then explained everything that happened. Excluding the fact that he had told Chloe he was from another planet and that she had proof of his abilities. "Clark."

"Dad, I know what you're going to say. I should have been more careful."

"Yes, that's true, but the fact is Chloe knows now," Jonathan replied. "You trust her not to say anything?"

"I do, Dad. Besides she's in shock right now. She asked for some time to process everything and I gave it to her."

Jonathan nodded. "That's fine. Just be careful. Your Mom has dinner ready if you're up for it."

"Let's go."

***********

Chloe stared at the computer screen. This was making perfect sense. Well, not exactly perfect. More like a skewed perfection. At first she was a little hurt that Clark would tell Pete, but not her. But, Clark has also known Pete much longer than he's known her.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Pete."

"I've never seen you so focused on your computer unless you're typing away on a story. Seriously, what are you thinking?"

"How much money I could make from this. Then I feel like an ass because Clark's my friend. I can't believe that was the first thought that floated through my mind! Pete, I'm losing it! If I can turn on my friends, what kind of journalist and I going to become?"

Pete put his hand on her shoulder. "Chloe, don't worry so much. As long as you never act on it, I don't think it's going to affect anyone. Trust me."

She smiled. "Thanks, Pete."

***********

"How much is this worth to you?"

"I'd have to view it first."

The young man grinned and pushed play on the VCR. He watched the expression on his buyer's face. "My God!"

"Was it worth it?"

"Definitely. Who is this kid and how can we find him?"

"His name is Clark Kent. He's from Smallville."

"Could you imagine harnessing all that power? How can we get him here? What are his weaknesses?"

"I have a list right here."

"I think we should pay this kid a visit, don't you?"

**********

Clark had just finished loading hay into the truck when a black car pulled up next to him. A suspicious looking man opened the window. "Clark Kent?"

"Who's asking?"

"It doesn't matter right now, Mr. Kent," he replied, opening his door. "Get in."

"Excuse me?"

The man pulled out a gun knowing full well that the boy couldn't be hurt by it. "Get in now!"

Clark didn't want to give anything away if he didn't have to. He decided to see what was so important this guy would threaten him. The minute he sat down, the man pushed a button on a remote. Clark immediately became sick to his stomach.

"What is this?"

"Evidence, Mr. Kent."

He took a breath. This was Chloe's video. "Where did you get this?"

"A very reliable source. Mr. Kent, I have a proposition of sorts for you."

"What?" Clark asked his anger apparent.

The man held up his hand. "Calm yourself. I know what you're capable of, but if you so much as touch me, my driver will kill your parents. You don't want that to happen, do you?" Clark shook his head slowly. "I didn't think so."

"The proposition?"

"I am going to run my own little experiments on you, Mr. Kent. And you're going to let me, or everyone on this list will be dead before you can even move."

The driver opened the door to let Clark out. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I can. You have until noon tomorrow. I'll be back."

Clark watched as the car drove out of sight. Chloe would never do this, but she was the only one who had access to the tape. This guy had already made his decision for him. He was not going to let anyone hurt his friends and family.


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe stared at the Torch in silence. This made it, what, the fifth time? She'd lost count. Chloe checked every item to make certain nothing was missing. And then she noticed it in the corner of the room. Her video camera, it was in a million pieces with no sign of the tape.

"Chloe! Chloe, are you all right?"

"Clark!" She said, jumping up. "I'm fine. I just got here."

He noticed her trying to hide something from him. "Chloe, what's wrong?"

"Clark, please don't be mad at me!" She bent down to pick up the camera. "I think whoever trashed the Torch took your video."

He nodded. "I know."

"You know?"

"I was paid a visit by him today."

"Who is he?"

"He didn't give me his name, only said he wanted to perform experiments on me."

All the color drained from her face. This was her fault! "God, I am so sorry, Clark! What are you going to do?"

"Nothing right now. I just wanted… I mean, I…"

She smiled sadly. "It's okay. You wanted to make sure I wasn't the one who betrayed you. I didn't Clark. I admit that I had thought about it, but I would rather die than lose my best friend."

He returned the smile. "Thanks, Chloe. I'd better go. I have to tell my parents about this guy."

**********

Clark paced nervously in front of the barn. He was just thankful his parents weren't home. If they even had an inkling on what he was about to do… He had recorded his thoughts on tape and he placed it on the counter with a note.

Clark idly wondered what these people were going to do when they learned he couldn't be poked with needles. Would they learn about his one weakness? If so, he could only imagine the types of experiments these people would come up with.

He didn't care, though. His family and friends were more important to him than anything on the entire Earth. Clark's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car approaching. This was it. He was never going to see this farm again.

"Mr. Kent."

"I guess if I'm going to be your lab rat, I should know your name."

"You can call me Dr. Vance."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "Why do I get the feeling that's not your real name?"

"Enough chatter. Let's go."

Clark took one last look at his home and climbed into the car with Dr. Vance.

**********

"Clark!" Martha called.

"I don't think he's here, Martha."

She walked over to her husband, who was reading a note that was on the counter. He held it up along with a video tape. "Clark wants us to watch this."

"Jonathan?"

"I don't know," he replied, taking her hand. The pair walked over to the television.

"Mom, Dad, if you're watching this, it's because I had no choice. This was the only way to protect the two of you and all my friends. Chloe has more details. Don't be hard on her because it's not her fault. If I can contact you, I will. Thank you for everything. I love you both."

"Jonathan!" Martha gasped. "What could have happened?"

"I don't know, Martha, but I'm going to call Chloe right now."

There was a knock at the door. "No need to, Mr. Kent," Chloe said, coming into the house. "I knew Clark would be gone by now. I tried to convince him that we could work this out, but he wouldn't listen to me. I think you both know how determined he can be."

Martha walked over to her. "Chloe, where is he?"

"First, I'd like to apologize. I am totally at fault here. I was so adamant about getting your family on video incognito. Pete tried to stop me, but I guess I'm just as determined as Clark. I mean, I just saw it as a way to get to know your family better.

"So, I saw Clark lift a tractor over his head and I knew something wasn't right. He told me about the meteor shower and where he came from. I told him I would keep his secret. After all, he is my best friend! I brought my camera back to the Torch and left it there while I went out to lunch with Pete. When I got back the place had been ransacked and the tape..."

"The tape was gone, wasn't it, Chloe?" Jonathan asked.

She nodded slowly, seeing the redness in his face. She had never seen him so angry. Tears began to pour from her eyes. "I am so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Kent! When Clark told me that he had seen the guys who taken the tape, I thought he was coming here to talk to you! I then realized since all of us were threatened, there was no way Clark was going to let them get away with it."

Martha's eyes widened. "Chloe, do you mean to tell me that Clark went with these people?"

"Yeah," she replied, taking a deep breath. "And they're going to experiment on him."


	3. Chapter 3

"All right, Clark. We've been at this for an hour and you've broken over 50 needles. You want to tell me what's going on here?"

Clark shrugged. "You're the doctor, you figure it out."

Dr. Vance walked over to the counted and picked up a clipboard. "Hmm... I doubt that Ms. Sullivan would be appreciative of a visit."

"Leave Chloe out of this!"

"Your weakness, Clark. I know you have one."

"The meteor rocks," Clark said without a beat.

The doctor grinned. "Perfect. We have plenty of that around as well as refined liquid meteor rocks. I love Smallville."

Clark's heart thumped in his chest. He wasn't prepared for Dr. Vance to be so well equipped. He watched as the man rushed from the room with an evil glint in his eyes. Be strong, Kent. Don't let this guy break you. Who knows, maybe you can develop some kind of immunity to the meteor rocks...

Clark's train of thought was interrupted by the white hot pain that accompanied the meteor rocks. He watched as Dr. Vance placed a hand on his fore arm. "Don't worry, Clark. You probably won't feel very much after this. It's just some liquid meteor rock laced with a light sedative. When you wake up, we just may have something to report to your friend, Lex Luthor."

"Lex?" Clark was able to gasp out just before he passed out.

Dr. Vance glanced over at the monitors. His patient's heart rate was racing, but he was pretty much stable beyond that. "It's time to give Mr. Luthor a call."

"This is Lex Luthor."

"Mr. Luthor, it's Vance. I have recently uncovered some interesting experiments and I want you to see these results first hand. In fact, you would be most interested in the source of these experiments."

"Is that right, Vance? Well, I've never been one to turn down an interesting experiment. Where is this taking place?"

"Now, now. It isn't going to be that easy. I'm sending a car out to you. You will be blind folded and brought here."

"I don't think so."

"I do, Lex. Besides your friend Clark will be disappointed you didn't come to see me."

"What the hell are talking about, Vance? What does Clark have to do with any of this?"

"I guess you'll have to wait and see. My car will be by in one hour."

**********

Lex wondered what Vance could possibly want with a farm boy from Kansas. He needed to speak with the Kent's. He knew they wouldn't want their son dissected. Lex arrived at the Kent farm to see Chloe and Pete rushing inside. He pulled his car to a stop and ran after them.

"Hello?" he said, entering the home.

"Lex!" Martha Kent said. Her eyes look bloodshot as if she'd been crying.

"You know about Clark already, don't you?"

She nodded as Jonathan walked over. "We do," the man replied. "The question is how do you?"

"Mr. Kent, I hope you realize that I had nothing to do with this. I received a call from a friend of mine who said he had some kind of experiment results he wanted to show me. I have no idea what he was talking about. In fact, I wasn't planning on going to see these results until he told me that Clark would be disappointed."

Chloe's head shot up from her computer. "Where are you meeting him?"

"He's sending me a car in an hour along with instructions to keep a blindfold on. I wanted to speak with you first, though. I was going to get together a security team to follow me so we can get Clark out of there."

Jonathan glanced over at his wife. They really didn't need Lex Luthor and a slew of his security team finding out about Clark. It was bad enough he knew this guy had their son. "I don't think that's going to be necessary, Lex," he finally said. "I think we have it under control."

"But, Mr. Kent..."

"Really, Lex," Chloe told him. "The police are already on it. Don't worry about it."

Lex was finding it hard to believe that none of them was willing to find Clark themselves. Especially Chloe and Pete as they usually end up in the thick of things when Clark was around. Maybe that's the reason. Maybe there was something special about this farm boy from Kansas.

"Fine. I am still going to meet this guy. Maybe I can convince him to let Clark go."

The four watched as Lex walked out the door. Jonathan looked at everyone. "If you're with me, we should follow Lex's ride. It's the only way to find Clark."

Chloe and Pete stood up as Martha walked over to her husband. "Let's find our son."


	4. Chapter 4

Clark woke up with blurred vision and a pounding headache. Everything else was numb and it was scaring him. He knew why this had to happen, though. And he would do it a hundred times over if it meant everyone he loved would be safe.

After his vision cleared somewhat, Clark looked around the lab. It seemed as though Dr. Vance had removed the meteor rocks themselves and was now relying on the liquid version swimming in his lab rat's veins.

His eyelids began to droop. Time for another nap, he thought. Clark's arm suddenly erupted in great pain. He didn't know what was going on because it felt numb a few minutes ago.

"Clark! Calm down!" Someone was saying.

"Lex?"

"Yeah," his friend replied, unstrapping the restraints. "Let's hurry. Vance will be back any minute."

Clark was useless as Lex released him. He couldn't even sit up by himself. "Lex, I know we have to hurry, but I can't."

"God, what did he do to you, Clark?"

**********

Meanwhile, Jonathan and Pete jumped out of the truck. Martha moved to the driver's seat. "Be careful!" she called after them.

The minute the pair entered the warehouse, they spotted Lex attempting to help Clark. Jonathan and Pete ran towards the other two. "Mr. Kent," Lex said in shock. "I thought you had the police…"

"Dad?"

"I'm here, son."

Pete looked into the lab. "Mr. Kent, whatever they did to Clark, they must have taken some notes. Maybe we should grab them and see if we can figure out how to help him."

"Good idea, Pete, but hurry." Jonathan turned to Lex. "Go, we can handle this."

"Please, I just want to help my friend."

Jonathan nodded reluctantly and the two rushed off. Pete ran into the lab and started grabbing everything he could. He found a bag and stuffed files upon files into it. He even grabbed the laptop on the desk. With a quick glance, he saw that he took most of what was in there and headed out the door. He only hoped that they could figure out how to help Clark.

**********

Chloe felt absolutely horrible about what the Kent's had to do to save their son from some crazy doctor who had found the videotape. Her videotape. God, this whole thing was her fault! If Clark died, she would never forgive herself.

"Chloe, you can't keep blaming yourself."

She nearly jumping, having forgotten Martha Kent was with her. "I can't help it. If I hadn't been so wrapped up in learning Clark's secret, he, Pete, and Mr. Kent wouldn't be in that warehouse right now. I should have been more patient. He would have told me on his own time. I'm a horrible friend!"

"No, you're not, Chloe!" Martha said. "You've been a wonderful friend to him. Others would have left him long ago because he hadn't been straight forward with them."

Before either could say another word, they saw Jonathan and Lex half dragging Clark with Pete close behind. "Start the truck!" Jonathan exclaimed as they hoisted Clark into the back.

When the men were safely in, Martha stepped on the gas. Lex was confused that they didn't go directly towards town and was even more confused when Martha pulled up in front of the mansion. "We've got this taken care of!" Jonathan exclaimed. "Don't worry."

He jumped out, still confused as ever. "I'll meet you there!" He had no idea what was going on, but he ran inside. He had a few loose ends to tie up before he went back to check on his friend at the hospital. He knew Clark was in good hands.

"Jonathan!" Martha cried worriedly. A glance in the mirror showed him trying to rouse Clark with no success.

Pete grabbed on of the files and began paging through it. As an afterthought, he passed Chloe the laptop. A few minutes later, Chloe muttered, "Oh my God!'

"What?" All three exclaimed.

"They injected Clark with liquid meteor rock."

Martha slammed on the brakes. No one noticed they were back at the farm. Her heart thumped in her chest as she turned to face Jonathan and Pete. She couldn't speak. She couldn't even think!

Chloe was confused as to their reactions. True, liquid meteor rocks injected was never a good thing. She remembered Whitney's tattoos. "Okay, someone is going to have to tell me what the problem is."

Pete finally found his own voice. "Those meteor rocks are from Clark's home planet. Have you ever noticed the effect they have on him? How he's always weak around them?"

She put two and two together. "Are you saying those things can kill him?"

No one had to answer her because she could see the looks on their faces. The four immediately went into action, Pete and Jonathan picking up and carrying Clark into the house. Martha and Chloe collected all the files.

The pair turned when they heard the familiar sound of an expensive sports car. "Oh great," Chloe said. "Lex alert."

"Chloe, take all the files inside and start finding a solution. You're better at that sort of thing than I am. Of course, I have to think of an excellent excuse as to why Clark isn't at the hospital."

"Mrs. Kent..."

"Go." Chloe nodded and rushed inside just as Lex put his car into park.

"Shouldn't Clark be at the hospital?"

"He'll be fine, Lex," she replied. "He's just a little groggy. What happened to everyone in the warehouse?"

Lex sighed. He would never fully understand the Kent's. "It was destroyed in a fire. Everyone was killed instantly. There's something else going on here, Mrs. Kent. What is so special about Clark that Vance was attempting to study him?"

"I don't know, Lex! Please, just leave us alone for right now. I have to go check on my son!"

He watched as she ran into the house, tears pouring down her face. "That's nice," he said to himself, "reduce Mrs. Kent into tears." With another sigh, he went back to his car.


	5. Chapter 5

Martha went straight into the living room where Jonathan and Pete had laid Clark down. She knelt next to the sofa and kissed his forehead. "Jonathan, he's burning up. Get a wet washcloth!" she told him. "Clark, baby, it's Mom."

She could tell his eyes were glassy and unfocused as he opened them. "Mom? No! Mom, I can't be here! If Dr. Vance finds out, he'll kill you all!"

"Clark, you'll fall over! Calm down. Everything will be all right. He can't hurt you anymore. Trust me!"

Clark nodded and laid down again, exhaustion setting into him. "I'm sorry, Mama. I tried... I..."

"It's all right, son," Jonathan said, handing Martha the washcloth. "We're all safe. Chloe and Pete are looking for a way to help you so you have to hang on for us."

"I will," he replied. Clark fell asleep to the touch of his Mother and her soothing voice.

Chloe and Pete walked into the room. "I think we found something..."

"What is it?" Jonathan asked, glancing at Martha. They were both wondering why the pair wasn't more excited about a possible solution to Clark's problem.

"According to his research, Dr. Vance predicted that the only way for Clark to regain his ability after being injected with..." Chloe looked over the file again, "five ccs of liquid meteor rock is to give him a blood transfusion. The only reason I'm mentioning it is because we've looked through everything and there is no other way. At least, not that Pete or I could figure out. We're not doctor's mind you, and Clark, well, we all know he's not from around here."

Pete and Chloe knew Clark's parents were beyond stressed right now. "Mr. and Mrs. Kent," Pete said, "the decision is up to the both of you."

"Martha, this may be our only chance to save Clark."

She nodded. "I know. We should let him know what's going on. Chloe, Pete, could you give us a few minutes alone with him?"

"Definitely, Mrs. Kent," Chloe said. "We'll put on a fresh pot of coffee, or something..."

Jonathan knelt next to his wife and took her free hand in his. She nodded and tried to wake Clark. It took longer than they'd like, but soon he was looking up at his parents.

"Is something wrong?" Clark was not expecting his voice to sound so strained. He was so tired, though, that sleep seemed like the best idea in the world. He noticed it was awfully quiet and they didn't look very comforted about the whole situation. God knows he wasn't.

"Clark, we may have found a way to get rid of the liquid meteor rocks in your system," Jonathan said slowly. He was mentally worried whether or not Clark would understand where he was going with this. At his nod, Jonathan continued. "We're not even certain this is going to work. I mean, none of us around here are doctors and we know next to nothing of your body chemistry..."

He trailed off and Clark grabbed his hand. "Dad, whatever it is, it can't be that bad. Just tell me and let's get started. I don't want... I don't want to leave you and Mom."

At this sudden revelation, the dam Martha was holding back, burst. "We know that, honey. We're going to attempt a blood transfusion. According to Dr. Vance, that was how he was going to rid your body of the meteor rock."

"The problem is," Jonathan continued, "we have no idea how we're going to accomplish this."

Clark stared at them, wondering if his brain was impaired and that's why everything was sounding so surreal. He didn't want to die, but he really didn't have hopes that this could work. And now... now things were becoming so much clearer in his mind.

Pete watched as Chloe typed furiously at the laptop. "I've got to the find a site that explains blood transfusions!"

"I hate to say this, Chloe, but maybe Lex was right. Maybe we should just take Clark to the hospital."

"No, Pete," Chloe replied. "What if this transfusion works and he immediately starts healing? That's going to be a little suspicious, don't you think? I mean, from what you told me, a car doesn't dent him, he dents the car."

Pete nodded. He didn't think of that. "What are we going to do then? Play doctor?"

Chloe stood up. "I have an idea!" He watched as she ran into the living room and followed her. Curious as to what sudden thought occurred to her.

"Mr and Mrs Kent! I need to get to the medical center. I have a friend who can help us. Clark knows him and he's trustworthy and a nurse! He won't ask any questions. This is Clark's only chance."

Jonathan looked over at Martha, who nodded. She just wanted her son well. "You have to hurry, Chloe," he responded.

"Don't worry, I will!"

Pete smiled wearily at them. "The coffee's ready, if you're interested."

Since Clark was fast asleep, they decided a break would do them good. Martha stopped and placed a hand on Pete's shoulder. "Clark is lucky to have friends like you and Chloe."

"Thanks, Mrs. Kent. We think we're pretty lucky too." With a smile, Mrs. Kent joined her husband in the kitchen.

Pete sat down next to Clark and was surprised to see he was waking. "Hey."

"Hey, Pete."

"This is probably a dumb question, but how are you feeling?"

Clark took a deep breath, but that seemed difficult to Pete. "My skin is crawling, my head is pounding, and my chest hurts." Pete watched in sympathy as he coughed. It just sounded painful. "Where's Chloe?"

"She went to the medical center to see if some nurse can help her. Do you know who she's talking about?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Mike Fraley. He's ... he's a cool guy."

"Clark?"

"Pete... if I die..."

"Don't talk like that!" Pete reprimanded. "You're not going anywhere! Chloe won't let you!"

"Chloe," Clark said with small smile. "I've been such an idiot where she's concerned, Pete. I think I truly love her."

Pete stared at his friend. This surprised him as Clark always seem interested in Lana. "Sorry if I'm a little confused, but..."

"Yeah," Clark replied, "it is confusing. I used to think I loved Lana, but all that's changed now. I was always worried what would happen if she found out who I really was. If she'd accept me and I as much as I hate to admit it, I don't think she would.

Chloe on the other hand... I've lied to her countless times and she's always stood by me. She knew I would tell her when I was ready, but Lana always needed to know everything about me in one fell... fell swoop..."

Clark trailed off as he began to cough again. He could not catch his breath. Pete yelled for the Kent's when Clark began coughing up blood. He noticed a green tint and the sight made him shiver.

Martha and Jonathan entered the room, worry etched on their faces. Martha took one look at her son and fainted in her husband's arms.

*********

Chloe quickly dialed Mike's number as she headed to the Smallville Medical Center. He answered on the second ring. "Hey!" she said.

"Chloe, hi! I haven't seen you in awhile. What's up?"

"It's Clark. He needs your help."

"What's going on?"

"Mike, he needs a blood transfusion, but with no questions."

He hesitated. "Chloe..."

"I know this is a lot to ask of you, but he's my best friend. I don't want him to die, and-"

He cut her off. "I'm sorry, Chloe, of course I'll help you. Clark is a good friend of mine too. Where are you?"

"Heading to the medical and center and hoping you'll join me there to get some supplies together."

"I'll meet you in the lobby."

"Thanks, Mike!"

Chloe was smiling when she hung up the phone. Of course, reality smacked her in the face when she thought of Clark. The way he looked as Jonathan and Pete dragged him to the truck. His face was so pale and his eyes... The thought of them made her shudder. She wanted to see those baby blues sparkle again, and she would! She was NOT going to let him die!


	6. Chapter 6

Mike and Chloe arrived on the Kent farm in record time. The pair grabbed the equipment and rushed inside. "I'm back!" she called.

"We're in here," came Jonathan's disjointed voice. That made her heart leap into her throat. Mr. Kent was one of the most together person who ever lived and to hear his voice like that, she didn't even know what to think!

Pete walked over to her. "Clark almost died. He was coughing up a lot of blood." Chloe gave her friend a hug. Tears were pouring down his cheeks. "I hope you can help him because if you don't, he's going to die."

Mike nodded and walked over to Clark. Jonathan and Martha quietly moved away. She had just come to a few minutes ago. Mike smiled sadly at them and set to work. As soon as everything was set up, he looked at Chloe. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," she replied.

"Chloe?"

"Mr. Kent, I am doing this. I'm a universal donor and this is something I have to do. I... I just have to."

Jonathan gave her a hug. "Thank you, Chloe." The phone rang, making them all jump. "Martha, sit down, I'll go answer it."

Pete and Mike had moved the coffee table and were making Chloe comfortable on the recliner. She nodded as Mike spoke to her. Martha couldn't believe this was even happening. True, she knew it was possible that her son would be in this position, but it just didn't seem real to her.

She watched Chloe as she brushed an errant strand of hair from Clark's face. Martha knew how much Chloe loved her son. She even knew how much Clark loved Chloe, but for some reason, his supposed love for Lana was blinding him from it.

Lana always demanded to know the truth from him while Chloe seemed to take in stride, believing that Clark would tell her himself one day. Yes, Chloe definitely loved Clark. Just one more obstacle to go, sweetheart, she said to herself, you'll realize it soon enough.

Clark watched Chloe through half closed eyes. She was so beautiful and she was trying to save him. He never felt as much love for Lana as he did for Chloe right now. Why had he been so blind to what was in front of him? How could he have been so stupid?

He had a sinking feeling he was going to lose it all and there wasn't a damn thing he could about it. "Clark." He heard his angel talking to him. "Don't cry. You'll be all right, I promise."

Clark took a deep breath and opened his eyes. She was smiling at him and wiping away his tears. "I love you, Chloe," he whispered in response.

Her eyes widened, her smile growing bigger if that was even possible. "I love you too, Clark."

Jonathan watched as Chloe settled back into the recline, clinging onto Clark's hand for dear life. He looked over at Martha, who nodded knowingly. Everything was going to be all right.

Mike went over to check on his patient an hour later. He nodded. "Looks like you have some color back in your cheeks. How are you feeling, Clark?"

"Much better, thanks."

"Chloe?"

"A little tired, but I'm all right."

He nodded. "Five more minutes and we should be good. Although another day of bed rest is recommended for the both of you."

Jonathan stood up. "Chloe, I'll call your Dad and tell him you fell asleep studying," he said.

"Thanks, Mr. Kent." In all the worry and confusion, Chloe completely forgot about calling her Father. She looked around the room. "Where's Pete?"

"He headed home," Martha replied. "He has a huge history exam to study for that he nearly forgot about."

"I'm glad I"ll be around to take it," Clark said.

Martha gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I am too, sweetheart. Would you like some soup?"

"Yeah, Mom. Thanks."

**********

Chloe woke up to the smell of coffee. She stretched and looked over at Clark. He looked like a little boy when he slept. She could also tell that he seemed more relaxed than he did the night before.

Just thinking of what happened made her shudder. She almost lost the most important person in her life. A sob escaped her lips and soon she was being wrapped in the most comforting embrace she had ever felt.

"Clark."

"It's all right, Chloe."

He continued to hold and reassure her. After she had calmed, she gently pulled away from him and giggled. His hair was a complete mess. "Nice 'do," she said, running her hands through it.

"I can only imagine what it looks like," he groaned. "I think a shower's in order."

She grinned. "Yeah, you stink. Coffee is in order for me!"

"Yeah," he replied, "you're grumpy."

They both stood up a little too fast. Clark grabbed Chloe's shoulders. "Are you all right?" they asked one another, both grinning.

"Clark." Martha smiled at the pair. "I'm so happy to see you up. How are you feeling?"

Clark smiled as his Mother put her hands on his face, checking for any signs of a lingering fever. It felt great. "I'm fine, Mom. I just want to take a shower and forget that any of last night happened." He glanced at Chloe. "Well, almost everything."

She nodded. "I have some chocolate chip pancakes for the two of you. And, Chloe, I talked to your Dad this morning. He is expecting you at school today."

"Yeah, I figured," she replied. "But, after breakfast! I cannot pass up your homemade pancakes!"


	7. Chapter 7

Clark and Chloe met Pete in front of the Talon. "How are you feeling?" Pete asked. "You looked much better than when I last saw you."

"I'm feeling much better. Thanks for everything, Pete."

"Anytime, Clark."

When the three entered, everyone noticed something different about the friends. Especially Chloe and Clark. They were holding hands and completely lost in one another. Lana watched as they found a both and sat down. Something was going on, and she was going to figure it out.

She took a deep breath and walked over to their table with a smile. Lana almost yanked Chloe out of the seat. She and Clark were sitting awfully close...

"Hey, Lana!" Chloe said with a smile. "You okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she asked.

"No reason."

"What can I get for you guys? The usual?"

Clark noticed that Lana seemed a bit off, but he wasn't going to pry. She didn't seem all that interested in the moment anyway. Every once in awhile, he would see her giving Chloe odd looks when her head was in the menu.

Shaking it off, he said, "I'm going to try something different!" Chloe and Pete nodded. "I'll have the caramel apple frappuccino."

Chloe's eyes widened. "That sounds so good, Clark! Make that two!"

"No, three!" Pete agreed.

Lana faked another smile. "Okay. That's three caramel apple frappucinos coming right up!"

"Clark," Pete said when Lana was out of earshot, "maybe you should talk to her."

Chloe and and Clark stared at one another. "Why?" they asked in unison.

"Okay, that's down right scary. Anyway, can't you tell a fake smile when you see one?"

Clark nodded slowly. "Now that you mention it, yeah, but what am I supposed to say? 'Sorry I don't love you, it was just my imagination'? Besides, she never really tried to pursue anything with me. Do I owe her an apology or something?"

"He's right, Pete. They never even dated."

"I still think you should talk to her," Pete stated.

Chloe watched as he stood up and headed over to the front counter. "Clark! Pete, why did you tell him to do that? He's already been through a lot lately. What if Lana tears into him?"

Pete sighed and dropped his head onto the table. "I didn't even think of that, Chloe. I just know how much Clark values his friendship with her and I didn't want him to ruin that by not talking to her about any of this considering their past history."

"I know. I guess I got scared there for a minute," Chloe admitted. "I don't want her to force him into thinking he likes her more than a friend."

"You're just going to have to trust Clark."

"I do. Wholeheartedly."

**********

Lana was working on the last frappucino when she saw a shadow cast over her. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was. Clark had no doubt seen through her. He always did. She plastered on another smile and turned to face him. "Couldn't wait for that frappucino?"

"Lana, I..."

"It's all right, Clark. You chose Chloe. I can't say I'm not hurt by it, but it's your decision to make."

Clark was confused. "Why are you hurt?" he asked. "You've never shown interest in me that way. Not even when I showed interest in you."

"I guess I didn't realize how much you really meant to me until I couldn't have you," she replied quietly. "I'm sorry it too so long for me."

He sighed, picking up the drinks. "I'm sorry too, Lana."

An hour later, Lana watched as they left. She was so lost in thought that she almost didn't hear Lex talking to her. "Are you all right?" he was asking.

"Hi, Lex."

"You look a little down," Lex replied. "What's wrong?"

She sighed. "I just had a run in with three people who I thought were my friends. Apparently something happened last night and none of them seem to want to share it." Lana shrugged. "I guess they'll tell me on their own time."

"Are you talking about Clark, Chloe, and Pete?"

Lana set a cup of coffee in front of him. "Yeah. How did you know?"

"Well, I was there last night too."

"You were?" Lana was shocked. True, she knew Clark was good friends with Lex, but how could he be included and not her?

Lex shook his head. "Trust me, Lana. You're better off you weren't there."

"What happened?"

"Some crazy idiot was trying to experiment on Clark. For reasons unknown to me. I don't know what exactly was done to him as Mr. and Mrs. Kent refused to take him to the hospital. I saw Pete grab files from the lab before we left, though. And I don't know how, but the lab was blown up after we left. No one escaped besides us. Any more questions you might want answers to, you'll have to ask them."

Lana just stared at him. What the hell was going on? Why wouldn't they want her to know about this? Why was Clark being so secretive about the whole thing? Stop it! She scolded herself. This is probably the reason Clark won't share anything with you! You're always asking questions, needing to know the answer right away! Let him tell you on your own time!

"I gotta get back to work," she muttered, leaving a bewildered Lex Luthor.

**********

Clark was quiet as he drove Chloe home. She could tell that he was lost in thought. Her curiosity finally got the better of her. "What did Lana say?"

A smile appeared on his face. "I was wondering how long it would take you to ask me. You went 20 minutes. I'm proud."

"Haha!"

"She said it hurt that I had chosen you over her. I asked her why because she had never shown much interest before."

Chloe nodded. "What did she say to that?"

"Apparently she didn't know she had any feelings for me until she couldn't have me. She apologized for it and I apologized back. That's when I came over with our drinks. I think we're going to need some space before we're friends again."

"I'm sorry, Clark," Chloe said. "I know that must have been hard."

"It was, but I'm dealing with the most important people in my life right now. My top priority is sitting next to me."

She grinned. "You know just the right words to make a girl melt, Clark Kent!"

"Yep," Clark replied as he pulled to a stop.

Chloe smiled at him again, but something twisted in her gut. It was guilt. She turned to face him and he was surprised to see tears on her face. "What's wrong?" he asked, taking her hand.

"Clark, I'm sorry about everything! If I hadn't tried to record your family, none of this would have happened! I feel horrible!"

"No, Chloe. I don't blame you. I should have trusted you enough to tell you about this. I was just blinded by my own insecurities." She nodded slowly and he pulled her towards him. "Come here."

Chloe acquiesced and their lips moved closer. She felt his breath tickle her senses at their lips met. Her arms wrapped around his waist. Chloe could tell how much love Clark had for her in this one kiss. It was the most wonderful experience she had ever felt.

"I love you," he whispered when they finally pulled apart.

"I love you too," she replied. "See you tomorrow."

Clark waited until she was inside before he drove off. The last day had been horrific, but what he said to Chloe was true. The people who were most important to him would always be there for him. He pulled to a stop in front of the farm house and sighed when he saw her SUV in the drive.

Jonathan walked over to him. "Lana's up in the loft. She seems upset."

"She knows Chloe and I are together."

Jonathan smiled. "I figured, but it's more than that. It's like she knows. Did you tell her what happened?"

"I didn't mention anything about last night to her." He ran a hand through his hair. "I really don't want to deal with this right now, Dad."

"I know you don't, son. Do you want me to tell her you're tired?"

Clark shook his head. "No. I'd be delaying the inevitable, right? I should just get this over with."

"Dinner should be ready in a half an hour. Your Mom has made all your favorites," Jonathan said. "I hope your appetite is back up to par."

"I have no doubt it is, Dad." Jonathan gave his son a pat on the back and went inside. Clark took a deep breath and headed in the opposite direction towards the barn and Lana.

He found her looking through the telescope. "When you look through this, you tend to see things more clearly," she said, turning to face him. "Why didn't you tell me what was going on? I had to hear about it from Lex!"

"I'm sorry, Lana, but I don't really want to talk about it."

"Chloe and Pete can know about it, but I can't? I wasn't asking you to give me details, I just want to be there for you, whatever happened. Clark, you were kidnapped and taken against your will!"

"Lana, I wasn't taken against my will, I went with them. They threatened to hurt my parents, all my friends if I didn't."

Lana stared at him. This is probably why he didn't tell me, she thought to herself. "I-I'm sorry, Clark. I just..."

"What? Lana, you always want to know what's going on my life, but you never wait for me to tell you on my own time. You're constantly asking me questions and sometimes I can't answer them at that moment, then you storm off because you're angry at me."

She could tell he was a little out of it. In fact, he was looking drawn and tired. This probably wasn't the best time for her to come out here and talk to him. "I'm sorry, Clark," she said again. "I didn't mean for things to get this bad between us. I just want to be your friend. I know we can't be more than that and I understand. Just call me when you're ready to talk."

Clark watched as Lana headed down the stairs and out of the barn. He sank heavily onto the couch. His head was pounding and he wondered how much longer the effects of the meteor rocks were going to last.

He suddenly wasn't very hungry anymore.


	8. Chapter 8

Clark must have drifted off to sleep when he felt someone shaking him awake. "No! Leave me alone!" he cried.

"Clark! Clark!"

Clark sat up, blinking his eyes and shaking his head as if to clear away the cobwebs swimming in his mind. "Dad."

"That must have been on hell of a nightmare."

"You have no idea," Clark muttered.

Jonathan sat down. "Your Mom and I have been waiting for you. Lana left about ten minutes ago."

"I know. I must have been more tired than I thought," he replied. "I'm not all that hungry right now either."

"What happened, son?"

He sighed. "I've been wondering if I should have told Lana about last night. It should have been me telling her, not Lex."

Jonathan wasn't happy about that. "Lex had no right to tell Lana your business. And she should have come to you instead of getting the details from him. He doesn't know the whole story anyway."

"Do you think I should tell her... everything?"

"No, son. Lana's sweet, but the way she acts about your secrets means she doesn't deserve to know them," he said.

Clark nodded. "I think she's jealous that Chloe and Pete were involved. I just don't want to lie to her anymore. I mean, I'm not ready to tell her about who I am, but I just hate that part of it, you know?"

"I know, son."

"Maybe I will have some of Mom's dinner."

Jonathan laughed. "Let's go."

*********

Chloe smiled at her Dad and went straight for the coffee maker. "Morning!" she sang.

Gabe Sullivan glanced up from the newspaper he was reading. Something wasn't right. This couldn't be his daughter. She was hyper before her first cup of coffee. "Where's Chloe?" he asked, looking around the kitchen.

Chloe giggled and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'm right here!"

"What has you so chipper this morning, sweetheart?"

"I have a date tonight!" she replied as she gathered her school books. "With Clark."

He looked at her in concern. "Chloe, I don't want to rain on your parade, but remember what happened at the Spring Formal?"

"Dad, trust me! Things have gotten better since then. Clark told me he's moved on and I believe him. I care for him so much!"

Gabe stood up and gave her a hug. "I know," he replied, "I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"I won't, but if I don't get out of here, I'm gonna be late for school! Love you, Dad!"

"Love you too, Chloe!" He laughed as he watched her race out the door. He grabbed his jacket and his car keys just as Lana came into the kitchen. "Good morning, Lana."

"Good morning, Mr. Sullivan. Where's Chloe?"

He shrugged. "I have never seen that girl more awake in all her life and she hasn't even had her morning coffee."

Lana faked another smile. "Love does that to you, I guess. Have a good day, Mr. Sullivan," she said, heading outside.

"You too, Lana." He sighed. "Life has just gotten more complicated, girls."

*********

After school, Chloe found Clark lying on the couch in the Torch. He looked exhausted. She smiled and sat on the edge of the furniture. "Are you sure coming in today was such a great idea?" she asked. "I mean, you almost died, Clark. I'm fairly certain you could have taken off one more day plus the weekend."

"I didn't want to raise anymore questions," Clark replied, sitting up. "You know how Lex was about me getting to the hospital."

She nodded. "Tell me about it!" However, Chloe still wasn't convinced that Clark should have returned to school. She could tell that the sparkle hadn't fully come back into his eyes. "Why don't we stay in tonight, Clark?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No, Chloe. I have everything set. I'll be fine, I'll just run home..."

She cut him off and took him by the hands. "You are not running. I'm driving you home and you're going to take a two hour nap. Then, your Mom will wake you up and find something dashing for you to wear."

"Yes, Ma'am!" he replied with a salute. "However, I'm driving because you have no idea where we're going, do you?"

"I would if you told me."

"Nope."

Chloe pouted and batted her eyes. "Please!"

"Stop that," he muttered, turning away.

"What's wrong, Clark? Clark, look at me!"

When he finally did, he laughed and shook his head. "Sorry, I almost couldn't resist those beautiful eyes so I'm going to ignore them and kiss you instead."

"I think I can live with that," she said, standing on her tiptoes.

*********

"Are you sure this all that you found before you destroyed the lab?"

"That's all, Mr. Luthor. Apparently Vance was injecting him with liquid meteor rocks," he replied, handing Lex the file. "There were a lot of things missing. I think the Ross kid grabbed more than you thought."

Lex nodded. "Thanks, Darius. I'll have my scientists look into this further." He grabbed his cell phone on the first ring. "Go ahead."

"Mr. Luthor, I've been following him all night and there's been no sign of anything unusual."

"Thanks, Dave," he replied. "Just head on back."

Lex turned his phone of with a sigh. He felt bad spying on Chloe and Clark, but he needed to know what was going on. Lex knew that doing things like this was going to backfire on him one day. He was just going to have to make certain today wasn't that day.

"Lana," he said as she entered the room. "Are you all right?"

Lana shook her head. Everything Clark had said to her was causing a massive headache and tears threatened to spill out again. "This has to be the worst day of my life!"

"What happened?" he asked, taking her hand and leading her to the couch.

When she sat down, she began to cry. "It's my fault, really. I kept pushing him away and now that he's with Chloe, I want him more than ever!"

To be honest, Lex wasn't expecting this at all. He never knew Lana had feelings for Clark. He took a breath before he spoke. "Did he tell you what went on in that lab?"

"No. I told him not to until he was ready and I agreed to give him some space because of the way I've been acting. He has a lot on his mind right now. I guess I was just a little jealous that Chloe and Pete were there. And you were too."

"I've asked him to stop by tomorrow afternoon. Why don't you come as well?"

Lana wasn't so certain this was a good idea. Clark had already been through so much and to have a friend eavesdrop on a conversation would probably be unwise. Still... the need to know what was going on in her friend's life outweighed her good judgment.

"As long as I can be somewhere else in the building," she told him.

"Consider it done."


	9. Chapter 9

Clark kept glancing behind them as they headed to his truck. "What's wrong?" Chloe asked.

"I think we're being followed," he said as he opened the door for her. "That guy in the black suit's been watching us, but when I turn to check him out, he's conveniently looking the other way."

She glanced over his shoulder. "A suited stalker. Bit suspicious, don't you think?

"Yeah."

"Why don't we ask him what he's so interested in?" Chloe asked, climbing out of the truck.

Clark stopped her. "It could be dangerous."

"Mr. I-Can-Stop-Bullets-With-My-Hands."

"Chloe!"

He sighed as she walked towards the Suited Stalker and quickly went the other direction, coming up from behind. The man tried to run away, but slammed right into Clark. He fell to the ground with a thud.

"Watch where you're going, kid!" he growled.

Clark helped him up, almost completely lifting the guy off his feet. He calmed down when Chloe put her hand on his arm. "Why are you following us?"

"I was just doing the job I was hired to do."

"Wait a minute," Clark said. He put two and two together. "You work for Lex, don't you? What the hell did he hire you for?"

Chloe watched the confrontation in shocked silence. The only thing she kept thinking of is what if Clark had used any of his abilities in front of the Suited Stalker? He would have reported those findings to Lex Luthor and Clark would have had a major problem on his hands.

"He didn't tell me and I didn't ask. I'm sorry, man, just let me go."

Clark did so and sighed, watching the man run off. "I guess it's not really his fault, but when I see Lex tomorrow, we're going to have a few things to discuss."

**********

Lex had Lana set up the billiard room next to the library. She watched the video feed as Darius led Clark into the room. He regarded Lex a bit coolly, but didn't say anything.

"Clark, how are you feeling? Last time I saw you, you seemed in dire need of a hospital yet your parents didn't seem to think so."

He shrugged. "I admit I was out of it, but as you can obviously see, I didn't need a hospital."

Lana could tell there was more to the story than Clark was telling. She was tired of him edging around the truth. She was so lost in thought that she missed what Lex said, but she caught the look Clark gave him. She could tell that it was really hurting Clark that Lex wouldn't back down.

"Just leave it alone, Lex."

"Clark, if you can't trust your friends, who can you trust?"

Lex had him on that, Lana thought.

"If trusting your friends means sending people to follow them, then this friendship is over!"

She watched in shock as Clark left the room. Lana had no idea Lex had people tailing Clark. She realized that Chloe and Pete were the only friends he could trust. She stood up, debating whether or not to follow him. She knew he would be very angry if he found out. She knew he would never forgive her for it.

And suddenly Clark was staring straight at her.

Clark couldn't think or speak. He just knew Lana had been in the next room having used his x-ray vision looking for any sign of a recording device. What he saw shocked him more than anything in his life, including when he first saw his space ship.

Lana watched as a range of emotions flew across his face. Anger was there to begin with, but it was mixed with pain and betrayal. She had nothing to say. What excuse could she give?

"I trusted you," he whispered.


	10. Chapter 10

Lana headed out to her car. She was so disgusted with herself! How could she have let Lex talk her into anything so devious? He was supposed to be her friend! Hell, they were both supposed to be Clark's friend.

She was lost in a sea of confusion. Since when had she become so underhanded? Lana wanted to scream. Her parents would be so ashamed. She had to leave Smallville. She had to start over. But first, she was going to try and settle things with the Sullivan's...

Chloe arrived home to find Lana cooking supper. "Where's Dad?"

"He said he had some things to take care of for work and asked if I would start dinner," she replied with a smile.

Chloe noticed that the smile didn't reach her eyes. She knew Lana was upset with everything that happened lately... from Clark totally avoiding her to Chloe dating him. "Lana, I know this is hard for you, but this is Clark we're talking about. He'll let you know when he's ready. Trust me, I know this."

"Chloe," she said, without looking up from the boiling water, "Lex and I were spying on him."

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. She knew where her curiosity had gotten Clark. She still needed to talk to him about it, but everything going on had made them push it to the back of their minds.

"You know how Lex asked Clark over, right?" At Chloe's nod, she continued. "Well, Lex had this idea to set me up in the next room complete with a video and audio feed. We were trying to find out what Clark was hiding."

She glared at Lana. "How could do that to someone you claim to be friends with, Lana? I noticed he was upset when he got back, but he wouldn't talk about it. I just can't believe what I'm hearing!"

"Chloe, I feel horrible enough about it enough without you making it worse. I just don't know how to make it up to him."

"I don't think that's ever going to happen, at least, not anytime soon. Clark is a very private person and I can't tell you the amount of times I've invaded that privacy and nearly lost his friendship. I never thought he'd come back to me."

Lana looked almost hopeful. "But he did."

"Yeah, he did," Chloe replied.

*********

Martha watched from the porch as Clark slammed a fence post into the ground. He didn't look very happy. She ran inside and picked up a blanket, a tray of cookies and two glasses of lemonade.

"Clark," she said. "Stop for a minute and sit with me."

Clark to turned to face his Mom and had to smile. They hadn't sat outside eating cookies since he was five. He took the blanket from her and laid it on the ground.

"Thank you, sweetheart."

The pair sat down and began to eat in silence. After a few minutes, Martha realized Clark wasn't going to bring up what was bothering him. "What's wrong?" she asked.

He took a deep breath. "I was betrayed by two of my friends today."

Martha was stunned by this revelation. "Clark?"

"No, it wasn't Chloe or Pete," he replied, as he took a sip of lemonade. "It was Lex and Lana."

"Oh, Clark," she said, putting an arm around him.

"I thought Lex just wanted to see how I was doing, but I was wrong. He kept asking me why I didn't go to the hospital and how my parents should have brought me there. I used my x-ray vision to look around for listening devices. He had some guy following me and not only that, I find a video camera, and Lana was in the next room watching the feed. Mom, I have never felt so betrayed in my entire life! How could they do this to me?"

Martha really didn't have an answer for him. She had tried all her life to shield him from betrayal and mistrust, but she couldn't, it was a part of life. "Clark, I know it hurts right now, but things will get better in time. You may even be able to forgive them at some point, but I know you won't forget. Your relationships will never be the same."

He nodded. "I know."

"Remember the people who are still with you and who will never betray you. I have a feeling about Chloe and Pete." She grinned. "Especially Chloe."

Clark blushed. "Me too, Mom."


	11. Chapter 11

Lana found Clark where she always found him. She needed to see him one more time before she left Smallville for good. He was staring up at the stars without his telescope. If he heard her footsteps, he made no indication.

"I was wondering when you'd show up."

"Clark, I know you don't want to see me right now, but I needed to see you. To apologize... and to say goodbye." Clark turned to face her. Tears were streaming down her face. "God, Clark, I am so sorry!" she cried.

Clark placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him. That was the last thing she expected him to do. "Lana, things will be strained between us for awhile, but if you're really set on leaving, then I won't stop you. I still care for you."

"Why Clark? I betrayed you in more ways than anyone could imagine."

He nodded because he knew that, but he had been lying to her since they'd met. "There are still some things about me that you don't know. I hope one day I'll be able to tell you."

She wiped her tears gave him a small smile. "I'm going to Metropolis to stay with Aunt Nell for now. Not exactly what I want, but it's a start."

"A new beginning," Clark replied.

"Yeah," Lana said.

He gave her a hug. "Good luck."

"Thanks for everything, Clark."

*********

Lex handed Lana a bottled water. "Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"Positive. I can't stay here and I can't keep doing this to Clark. I care about him too much. I know that if I do stay, things will get progressively worse."

Lex nodded. "At least let me set you up in Metropolis. You can have an apartment and not have to deal with your aunt's husband."

Lana considered this. She really didn't want to stay with Aunt Nell anyway... "That'd be great, Lex!"

He cleared his throat. "Before you readily agree to this, I want to be completely honest with you. However, I'm not sure how you'll take it all in. Either you'll be intrigued or you'll never speak to me again."

"Lex," Lana said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "whatever it is, it can't be that bad."

He smiled knowingly and pressed the button on his intercom. "Send him in, please."

Lana watched as he walked over to the man who just came in and shook his hand. "Lana Lang, may I introduce Dr. Phillip Vance."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Lang."

She looked between Lex and Vance. "What's this about?"

"Lana, we've both known Clark for a while now, but how well do we really know him?"

"Um, I guess not as well as I'd like. After all, he told me he still has a big secret. Something he hasn't been ready to tell me." Lex was right, this was rather intriguing.

"What if I told you that I know what that something is?"

Lana just stared at him. Lex knew Clark's secret and it looked like he was offering to tell her. He'd been having Clark followed, he'd been... Doing all the things she didn't have the guts to do. Curiosity got the better of her.

"I'm listening."

**********

Clark had just finished his chores when Chloe pulled to a stop in the drive. "Hey, Superman!" she said with a grin.

Clark eyed her skeptically. "Superman?"

"Yeah. You don't like it?"

"Not sure. Ask me again sometime." He leaned down and gave her a long and wonderful kiss.

"Now that's a greeting!" she exclaimed. Chloe could tell he had much on his mind. She took his hand and led him to the loft. When they finally reached the top, she turned to face him. "What happened at Lex's? I mean, I talked to Lana at home and she told me what they were doing, but she didn't give details. Are you all right?"

Clark sighed and told her everything that happened. Chloe was too stunned to speak. She had expected something like this from Lex, but Lana? She knew Clark would forgive her eventually, however, Chloe wouldn't.

She wrapped her arms around him. "I know this is hard for you deal with, Clark, but remember that you're not alone."

Before Clark could reply, he felt intense pain filling him. He tried desperately to communicate with Chloe, but it was too great.

"CLARK!" she cried as she lowered him to the floor. "Clark, answer me!"

"Lex," she heard him gasp out. Chloe turned around and was surprised to see the billionaire standing behind them with a rather large meteor rock. "What are you doing?" she screamed.

"All those times Clark said I was being less than honest with him. All those times he lied to me! It ends tonight, Clark! I know your secret and I'm going to continue where Vance left off!"

Chloe tried to stop him, but he grabbed her by the hair and threw her into the desk. She slumped to the floor. "Lex!" Clark gasped out again, "Leave Chloe alone, I'll come with you!"

Lex grinned and picked up his ex-best friend. "Let me meet you outside." The last thing Clark remembered was the ground rushing up to meet him.


	12. Chapter 12

Jonathan watched the couple from the window. He was happy his son was finally able to find someone as great as Chloe... Even if she did go about finding his secret the way she did. They just had to remember that that was Chloe. He had no doubt Clark was going to tell her soon anyway.

"Jonathan Kent, what do you think you're doing?"

He jumped. How did she do that? "Nothing," he replied.

She crossed her arms and shook her head. "Pull the other one, honey. You were watching our son and his new girlfriend."

"Maybe."

Martha laughed. "No 'maybe' about it," she said, taking her roast out of the oven. She smacked his hand when he attempted to pick a piece of it off. "Go wash your hands and let Clark know dinner's ready."

"Aye aye, Captain," he teased. She rolled her eyes at him as he gave her a peck on the cheek.

Jonathan entered the barn and called out to the young couple. He ran up to the loft, wondering why there was no response. He was not expecting to find the place in shambles and Chloe unconscious on the floor.

He ran over and knelt next to her. He noticed a small gash above her right eye. "Chloe!" he called. He sighed in relief when she stirred.

Chloe blinked a few times, trying to remember what happened. "Oh my God! Clark!" she cried, sitting up a little too quickly.

"Calm down, Chloe," he replied, holding her steady.

"Mr. Kent, don't worry about me! He took Clark!"

"Who?"

"Lex."

Jonathan had a bad feeling about all of this. "What do you mean he 'took' Clark?"

Chloe took a deep breath. She hated to have to be the on to tell him this latest piece of news. "He knows, Mr. Kent. Lex came here with Kryptonite."

In all the times she had spoken to Jonathan Kent, she had never seen the look that was currently on his face. Anger mixed with despair. He helped her up. "We'll find him, Chloe," he told her, helping her to the house.

Martha gently cleaned Chloe's wound as the young girl recounted what happened. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Kent," she said, tears in her eyes.

Martha hugged her close. "It wasn't your fault, Chloe," she replied.

Jonathan watched the two as they hugged. "There has to be a way to track Clark down. Chloe, do you think your uncle could help?"

"Uncle Sam?" she asked. "I wouldn't doubt it! He always said Clark was like the son he never had. I'll give him a call right now!"

"You'd better call Pete and let him know what's going on," Martha said as she began to put everything away. She sank into the chair and began to cry. Jonathan immediately ran to her side. "He'll be all right, Martha. Clark's strong."

"I know," she replied, "but I still can't help but wonder if I'm going to lose him."

**********

Lana read the files Vance had on Clark. She couldn't believe what she was reading. Although she understood now why Clark had kept it a secret. She needed to destroy this evidence, though. This Vance guy had experimented on Clark once before, who's to say he wouldn't do it again.

She glanced over at the fireplace, then quickly looked around the room. With resolve, she gathered everything and, without so much as a second thought, tossed it all into the flames. She was not going to have any part in a plan to hurt the one man she could always count on.

Lana turned when the door opened. "Lex," she said, plastering on a smile. She was secretly surprised he was back so soon. "Are you ready to show me what you have planned?"

He nodded. "Let's go. There's someone who wants to see you."

Lana followed Lex to the basement of the mansion. She had no idea he had a lab built down there. She froze in place when she heard a blood curdling scream ring out. "Oh my God!" she gasped. Lana recognized that voice. "That was..."

He didn't have to say anything. The look on his face gave it away. She immediately felt sick to her stomach, but was able to compose herself. Lana nearly screamed when they arrived at the observation window.

"Welcome to the new Luthor Corp project, Lana."

She watched in horror as Vance injected Clark with something. "What is that?" she asked, eyes wide in fear.

"A nasty strain of the flu," Lex replied. "We want to see how his body chemistry reacts to it and how long it will take to heal him."

"Why are you doing this, Lex? Clar has always been there for you. Stood by you when no one else would!"

Lex shook his head in exasperation. "That doesn't matter when you count how many times he's lied to me."

"Well, Lex, I can see why he did if this is how you were going to treat him."

"Lana," he said, taking her hands. "Are you telling me you want no part of this?"

Lana looked back and forth between Lex and her friend being tortured. If she remained, maybe she could somehow free him. Besides, she was a little nervous as to what Lex would do to her if she didn't stay with him. Not that she cared so much about her life, but Clark's was hanging in the balance as well.

"Only if you agree to let me keep him company. Maybe I can convince him that this is for the greater good."

Lex looked thoughtful for a few minutes. He finally nodded. Lana was in too deep now, there was no way for to get out of this. "All right, Lana. It's a deal."

Why do I have this sinking feeling that I just made a deal with the devil, she thought.

**********

Clark lifted his head weakly and looked around the room. There were small flecks of Kryptonite embedded into the walls of his room, but he didn't think they were the reason for the cold chills, the high fever, or the massive headache he currently had.

No, to him it felt like what Chloe had described as the flu. That must have been what Vance injected him with. Just great, Clark thought, I have the flu and I'm in a room that dampers any abilities of mine to heal.

His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. The person who entered was someone he never thought he'd see again. "Lana..."

"Please," she said, placing a tray on the table and walking over to him, "I'm not here to hurt you, Clark."

He glared at her. "I think you've already done that by being here, Lana."

She sighed. She knew this wasn't going to be easy, but now she couldn't even get him to look at her. "Clark, I realize this isn't something you're likely to believe right now, but please trust me! I want to help you!"

Clark slowly turned his head to face her. "Lana if you want to help me, then get me out of here."

She took her hand in his. "That's what I'm going to do, but," she added with a small smile. "I have to come up with a plan of my own. For right now, though..."

Lana pointed to the items she brought into the room. He hadn't even noticed. "Soup does sound pretty good," he told her.

She nodded and helped him sit up. "Clark, there's something else you should know if you're going to trust me to help you."

"What's that?" he asked.

"I know about your meteor induced powers."


	13. Chapter 13

Sam Lane was a military man through and through, but he had one weakness: his niece, Chloe Sullivan. When his wife and daughter were killed in a car accident a few years back, Sam immediately latched to Chloe, her friends as well. Especially Clark. He was always there for his niece and since himself, nor Gabe could be around 24/7, they were grateful for that.

He arrived on the Kent farm at the appointed time and ordered his men to gather any equipment together they might need. He walked up to the house as Jonathan opened the door. They shook hands. "Good to see you, Jonathan. Although, I wish it was under better circumstances."

"So do, I Sam," he replied. "Come on in."

The three spent the next hour telling Sam what happened. "There's something else," Jonathan said. He glanced over at Martha who nodded. "Clark is a little different than most people."

He explained about his son's powers and what he could do. Sam listened quietly. He had heard enough about Clark from Chloe to realize where the boy was coming from and know that his parents were telling him the truth.

When Jonathan was finished, Sam spoke up. "I've heard some tales of Smallville, mostly from Chloe, but I'm going to make certain your son remains safe. This is a top secret mission. In fact, there won't be one bit of paperwork on this." He smiled at them. "Let's get your son back."

**********

Lex watched Lana and Clark from the observation window. He was starting to get a suspicious feeling regarding Lana's loyalties. He was going to have to forbid her to go in and help Clark too much. She was getting emotionally invested and he couldn't have that.

"Darius," he said, turning to face his bodyguard. "Escort Ms. Lang to her quarters and keep her there until I say so."

The man nodded and went into the room. She and Clark both looked up when the door opened. Clark was holding her hand and she could feel it shaking. He's not used to being so helpless, she thought as she gave him a reassuring smile.

"Ms. Lang, please come with me."

It was an order, not a request. "I'll be back soon, Clark," she said to him. "Rest."

Before he could say anything to her, they were gone. Clark sighed. He wasn't sure if he should trust Lana. She had been spying on him with Lex. They both knew his secret now. Maybe it would have been better for all concerned if he had never arrived in Smallville.

*********

Lana glared at Darius as he held onto her arm with a vice grip. "You know, I can walk by myself, I don't need any guidance," she told him.

He just continued walking, not saying a word to her. After ten minutes, they arrived at door. Darius opened it and threw her to the floor. "What the hell was that for?"

"Stay here until you're called," he replied, shutting the door. She could hear the clicks as he locked it.

Lana looked around the room and took a deep breath. There had to be a way out. She quickly ran to the window and realized that it was way to high for her to jump. Lana sat down on the bed, trying to think of something.

"Hmm..." She took everything in. "Okay, this is going to be very Nancy Drew like of me, but maybe there's a secret passage in here. After all, this is a castle."

Lana set to work finding such a passage, putting to the back of her mind that Lex would probably know if there was one and wouldn't have placed her in a room with it. Unless, of course, he probably didn't expect me to think of one... Her thought's trailed off and she grinned. "Bingo!"

**********

Martha watched as they drove off. Jonathan insisted on going and he also insisted that she, Chloe, and Pete remained at the farm. She wasn't happy about it, but she knew there wasn't much she could do. She began pacing back and forth nervously.

Chloe and Pete sat at the table, watching her. All three jumped when someone knocked at the door. Lana Lang was the last person they expected to see there. Chloe was furious and jumped up from her seat. "What are you doing here?"

"Please," Lana said, "hear me out!"

"If you've come to tell us about Lex, you're too late," Pete told her. "We know."

Lana nodded. "Okay, you know that, but did you know that the guy who took Clark to begin with is still alive? Lex is having him run tests on him. The walls of the room Clark is being kept in is embedded with meteor rock."

Martha gasped. Not only because Lana knew about Clark, but that her son was being put through such torture. She dreaded the answer, but she had to know. "What exactly have they done to him?"

"They injected him with a pretty powerful strain of the flu. Lex wants to see how long it will take Clark's body to heal itself."

"Long considering the meteor rocks," Chloe muttered.

Martha's stomach was twisting in knots. Her son, her little boy was sick and there was no way she could help him. The room was spinning fast and she felt hands guide her to one of the chairs at the table.

"How did you escape?" Pete asked as he kept a watchful eye on Martha.

"Strangely enough, the room Lex had me put in had a secret passage. Either he knew and he was testing me or he had no clue about it." Lana shook her head. They couldn't just sit here all day. "We have to find a way to save him!"

"Chloe's uncle is taking care of that right now," Martha replied after calming down somewhat.

"General Lane?"

Chloe nodded. "The one and only..." She trailed off and glanced at Martha. The look on her face, no doubt, matched hers. She looked pale and there were dark circles under her eyes.

"Mrs. Kent, why don't you, Chloe, and Lana rest?" Pete suggested. "I'll fix my Mom's famous tomato soup. It's delicious, and to be honest, it's the only thing I know how to cook."

Martha smiled and hugged him. "Thank you for everything."


	14. Chapter 14

Lex leaned back in his chair, reading Dr. Vance's findings. It looked like the meteor rocks embedded into the walls were hindering Clark's recovery. That would make sense if he was allergic to them. However, there had to be more to this...

And then he found it in the conclusion: '"Based on my findings, I believe that Clark Kent is not human and that he is, in fact, from another planet."'

"Oh my God," he whispered. Of all the things in the world, he was not expecting that. He had just thought Clark was another meteor freak.

"Excuse me, Mr. Luthor."

Lex looked up from the file. "Darius, I thought you were supposed to be guarding Lana's room."

"About that, Sir."

Lex had a sinking feeling he knew already. "She's gone, isn't she?"

"Yes. Apparently there's a secret passage in there."

"Damn. Get Dr. Vance. Time to get more aggressive with this. I have a feeling the cavalry will be here sooner than I'd hoped."

**********

"All clear!"

Sam nodded to Jonathan and followed the path as the other soldiers. Jonathan saw a few unlucky and unconscious people, no doubt Lex's security team. There was no sign of the billionaire, though.

They met up with Davis and Baker. "What do we have here?" Sam asked.

"This guy is Vance. Apparently he's been very bad," Baker sneered.

"We took care of any files, paper and computerized," Davis added.

The men looked at the lab. Jonathan could say one thing about these guys. They were thorough. "Where's Clark?"

"D-Down the hall and to the left." Vance gasped out nervously. "First room on the right."

"You two get him out of here and meet up with us later."

*********

"Well, Clark, it looks like this room won't let you heal so you're going to get a change of scenery. By the way, you won't be seeing Lana ever again." Lex almost laughed at the look on Clark's face. "I know what the two of you were planning."

Lex lifted him up and Clark stared at him, his eyes almost glazed. Lex had never felt as evil as he did right then. What had he done? This man had been his friend through thick and thin. He was the one person who was always there for him.

True, Clark had hidden his biggest secret, but it probably would have been better for the both of them if he had never known. "Clark," he cried, tears falling, "I am so sorry! For everything!"

Clark nodded weakly. "Let's just get out of this room first."

Lex knew he wasn't going to get out of this that easy. No, Clark would probably kick his has when he regained his strength. And if he didn't, Jonathan Kent most certainly would!

Just as they made it to the door, Sam and Jonathan arrived. "Let the boy go, Luthor," Sam growled.

"I'm trying to help him!" Lex explained.

"No you're not!" Jonathan screamed. "All you wanted from the start was to find out Clark's big secret. Now that you know, you're trying to kill him!"

"Please, Mr. Kent. I'm not. Maybe that's how this started..." He winced when he saw the looks on their faces. He was not getting out of here alive. "But I realized what a fool I've been."

Lex moved to adjust his friend. He had to get him away from that room! He took one step forward and immediately felt a sharp pain in his side. He fell to his knees, Clark dropping with him. This snapped Clark from his semi-conscious state.

"Lex!" He dragged his friend away from the meteor room and began to feel the effects wearing off.

"What are you doing, Clark?" Jonathan exclaimed.

"Dad, you don't really want him to die, do you?"

Jonathan stared at his son in wonder. Lex had nearly killed him and knew his secret, yet, Clark didn't want him to die. He knew that he had grown and that he was more human than anyone on this Earth could ever be.

"We should get out of here. Those guards will be coming to soon." Sam said, watching as Clark attempted to help Lex again. "Let me get him."

Jonathan took a hold of Clark. "Let's get you out of here, son."

*********

EPILOGUE

Chloe watched as Pete and Clark played basketball. It had taken a month or so for Clark to return to his energized self and everyone was grateful. Pete was going to be heading to Wichita in a few days to live with his Mom. His parents were getting a divorce and Pete wanted a change of scenery. Chloe knew that if things hadn't changed already, they would be soon.

Lana decided to move to Metropolis with her aunt. She had finally gotten over her resentment of Dean. She knew that it was going to take awhile to be forgiven, but her going to the Kent house to let them know about Clark was a step in the right direction.

Lex was sentenced to seven years in prison in the Smallville Penitentiary for kidnapping and assault. Chloe had doubts that Lex could ever be rehabilitated. She just knew that once he got out, he was going to go after Clark again. Clark didn't think so.

As she typed in her online journal, Chloe glanced at her left ring finger. It was a small Claddagh ring. Clark gave it to her as a promise that once they were completely finished with all schooling, they would get married. He said he loved her more than anything on this entire Earth. Chloe told him that the feeling was mutual.

"Chloe watch out!" Pete exclaimed.

Before she could even blink, Clark was in front of her, catching the basketball. He smiled at her sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Right, Superman."

"Stop calling me that."

"I thought you liked it."

"I hate it."

"Come on, man," Pete said, "You'll need a superhero name one day."

"Why Superman?"

"Because I thought of it," Chloe said with a grin.

Clark sighed and glanced over at Pete, who shrugged. "Superman it is."


End file.
